The Estrangement
by youandwhattoaster
Summary: Danny has been faced with problems, trials, and difficulties his whole life and is used to finding a way to cope, to turn the situation around and come out stronger. Now Danny is faced with the ultimate challenge, and the question him, along with his friends and family, are asking is can he cope? New summary, same story. Rated T for safety.
1. Prologue

The Estrangement

A/N- This is a drabble to help me get some ideas out of my head but depending on the response it gets this will be the prologue and I will develop it further. I would also like to apologize for any spelling or grammar errors I may have overlooked. Other than that, I hope you enjoy.

It was called a mistake, a freak accident, a mishap but it was more to me than that. It was a disaster and it was defiantly not blameless.

It happened near the end of sophomore year. I was happy it wasn't an ordinary day, it was the best day. My parents, as well as most of Amity Park, were starting to accept that the ghost boy was helpful, not harmful. Sam and I were starting to get closer, in a romantic way. Tucker and i were closer than ever, as were Jazz and I. Dani showed up in town and my parents were allowing her to live with us. I was becoming an acquaintance or distant friend to most of the popular crowd, and school was easier. And, best was that ghosts were starting to respect me and not attack as much. Everything was perfect and i was the happiest I'd ever been.

But, who are we kidding my life is never happy. It seems the universe was there to work against me, so if i have great happiness then a great tragedy must occur to keep me miserable. No one knows what caused it. No one knows the how or why to it. This was going to cause me great pain and distress regardless of the details but the not knowing, the mystery of it just makes it worse. Phantom and I were separated. Permanently.

I was playing video games in my living room with Sam Dani and Tuck, suddenly i felt this great emptiness, like a hole had been torn in my chest. It was like i couldn't breath, I collapsed. Mom, dad, and Jazz were in the kitchen preparing supper for the six of us. When they heard me collapse and Sam Dani and Tuck cry out in worry they ran in to help me. All I remember from there is their words fading out as well as my vision.

All was black It was like i was drowning it it then, suddenly, bright blinding white. As i adjusted to the sudden, contrasting color change i started to hear words fade back in. I turned to the direction of the words looking to see the speaker. Nothing. Then, Phantom. I'll never forget the look of pure, intense agony and sadness that was on his face and the tears in his eyes. Finally, he worked up the strength to speak to me. In a fleeting whisper in the most heart breaking tone he said "I'm sorry Danny, goodbye." then his Image faded out and drifted like mist or dust.

I woke up in my bed crying with my family and friend surrounding me. I tried to transform, not even caring that my parents were there, and nothing happened, the rings didn't even appear. I let out an agonized sob.

Now, Its half way through senior year. I rarely ever go home, I prefer to find abandoned buildings or similar areas. I don't talk to my family or friends that much anymore. They say I've changed, that I'm depressed and falling into a self imposed psychosis. They tell me they are worried, they care and want to help me. They don't I just know it. They are liars. All I want is Phantom back. I'm empty and alone with out that part of me.

I have looked every where for him but it is like hes gone, vanished. Ghosts don't bother me any more, if they see me they give me this pitying look. I hate them, all of them they get to be whole and I have to suffer. The ghosts will not help me. I went to Clockwork, Ghost writer, and Desiree, but none of their powers work on fixing this.

Being torn like this, being half a person, it kills me deep down I know every one is right I'm loosing my mind. I'm loosing myself. I don't know how to live any more. I want to die, but I cant I need to wait, stay in a form Phantom might recognize is he's still out there and hope beyond hope that he is looking for me to and that we will be reunited.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N- I think this story was well received so I plan to continue it. I would like to thank everyone who read this story especially Oro Rosa for leaving a review and following me and the story as well as Mals42 for following this story. Just to clarify, in this story Phantom Planet doesn't happen. All chapters will be from Danny's point of view unless stated otherwise. This chapter doesn't pick up at the end of the last one it is a little bit before where the prologue starts. I want to go a bit more in-depth and explain things. There will be time skips but I will state when and how much time is being skipped.

Before i forget like last time- Disclaimer- I don't own Danny Phantom or the characters this is a nonprofit story meant only for entertainment.

I woke to Jazz shaking me and telling me I would be late for school if I didn't get up and ready soon. I wondered briefly why my alarm clock wasn't waking me instead, but remembered I had shot it in frustration Saturday morning when I forgot to shut it off for the weekend. I didn't care that Jazz was waking me, anything is a better wake up than my ghost sense. Luckily, ghosts stopped bothering me as much, especially at night. I got three nights of uninterrupted sleep in a row, a new record.

Once i shooed Jazz out of my room, I picked out clothes to wear. My outfit for the day consisted of a white and red shirt, which was a bit baggy on me, not-so-blue-anymore blue jeans, and a rather beat up pair of red sneakers. I then went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth and hair , which didn't do too much for my hair because its always unmanageable, brushed or not.

I rushed down the stairs seeing that Jazz had already taken off in her car, now that I think of it I think she mentioned talking to a teacher before school, something about graduation or whatever. I also noticed that my parents were down in the lab. Typical. At least we have a bit of a truce going so the weapons aren't aimed my way lately. This is helpful as I don't need another thing to make me fear for my life, or half-life, or is it after-life?, well whatever its too confusing to try to figure out.

I decided to skip breakfast as I'm half ghost so I only ever get half as hungry and I like to eat lunch with Sam and Tucker. No matter how many times I explain to them that I don't have to eat as much food and don't get as hungry, they still give me worried looks so I try to eat at least a small lunch with them.

After grabbing my backpack from where it was rather gracelessly thrown onto the couch, I opened the door to the lab to yell a quick "Bye" to my parents. I practically sprinted out of the house to the alley beside it and changed into my ghostly alter ego of Danny Phantom before I grew my spectral tail and launched into the air flying myself to school.

There really is no way to describe flying. Its freeing, liberating. All the worries and the pressures of the world are left on it surface the second I lift off. I am convinced there is no better feeling than flying, feeling the wind whip through my hair and around me, soaring through the clouds, I love it.

Before I knew it, I reached the school. I looked at my watch, yes I have a watch Sam got me it so I don't loose track of time as easily, I saw that I was about five minutes early. After thinking for a second I decided to walk around and see if my friends were at school. After about two minutes of walking in a leisurely pace I spotted Sam sitting in the shadows under a tree.

"Wow," I said as I approached her,"I'm surprised a 'creature of the night' who hates the sun is willingly sitting outside, even if they are in shadows. This is a rear spotting indeed." I said, then I cracked my most charming grin.

She gave me a half hearted glare before responding, "Oh haha funny man, I thought ghosts could only come out at night?"

"Well you know me, I'm an anomaly."

Just then Tucker walked up to us and greeted us. "Hey guys whats up? Being love birds?"

"Well I don't know about love birds but, two friends who randomly flirt but still don't date is a lot closer." I said.

"Are you sure its not friends with benefits?" He quipped back.

"Nah", Sam said, "I'm a classy girl, he'd have to buy me dinner first."

"You know what Sam?" I questioned, "I might just have to take you up on that."

"Are you asking me on a date, Mr. Smooth?" She asked.

"I think I am" I started "Nasty Burger after school?"

"Sure, but we cant go anywhere without our third wheel." She said pointing to Tuck.

"Hey!" He cried.

"Aww, You know we love you Tuck." I said.

The bell rang and we went into the school to learn things we wont remember or use. The day was pretty average except when Skulker showed up because he was bored and wanted to test some new weapons in a spar, which I promised to do when I'm not at school or otherwise occupied. Johnny showed up asking for a race and telling me that 'Ember told Kitty to tell me to ask you for a jam session'. I agreed to both, but also reminded him I still have school and responsibilities.

Sam and Tucker were working on a Chemistry lab at lunch and couldn't meet me to eat. I was a bit upset, but I didn't mind it gave me a chance to hang out with my friends that I don't see as much. After realizing I forgot my lunch money, not that its a big deal halfas don't have to eat much, I walked over to my lunch table for the day. Which, surprisingly enough, is the A-List table. For "unexplained" reasons, that may or may not involve Danny Phantom, they became gradually nicer through out the school year. Once they started to let up on their bulling, I would have brief conversations with members of the A-List. After they got used to the idea of talking to people outside their social circle and gave me a chance we all became friends. The A-List is practically no more, now they are just high school students that are a bit more looked up to. Bulling is at an all time low, which Sidney is delighted about, and the kids at school get along better.

After school, Sam, Tuck, and I went to Nasty Burger for our this-isn't-an-actual-date-but-a-running-gag date. Which was interrupted at the end by a low level ghost thinking that my strength was exaggerated and that he could defeat me and finally gain power and respect. His words not mine. Needless to say it was an extremely quick fight. I remained as Phantom for a couple of minutes waiting for my parents and Val to respond so I could tell them it was handled. While they don't know I'm Phantom, we have a truce and part of it is reporting my encounters with malicious ghosts to them. There isn't much to report any more now that the ghosts respect me but hey, I'm not complaining.

After reporting the details of the attack and giving my parents the thermos, I said my goodbyes with Sam and Tucker and went home. I was greeted by Jazz hugging me and insisting we sit down and watch TV together. The closer to the end of the year and Jazz leaving for college we get, the more time she spends with me. I honestly don't mind, I'm going to miss her and I like being close with my sister.

Speaking of sisters, Jazz and I heard a cry of "DANNY!" from my room upstairs. Next thing we knew, Dani was running down stairs and flung herself at me and gave me a tight hug.

"Hey, Dani." I said between chuckles.

A little less than two weeks ago, Dani showed up at our doorstep asking for me. She told me she realized the only reason she was roaming was because she was lonely and wanted a family, but after the thing with Vlad she wasn't ready to face that. I told my parents that one day I met Dani as an orphan on the street and helped her get back on her feet. After explaining how close we are and that she's like a sister, maybe even a daughter to me, they let her stay and are currently looking into adoption. I teach her with Jazz at home as she cant go to a formal school because we are missing her records.

All in all life is good, no life is great. I'm not sure how much happier I could get. Things are looking up.

A/N- Thank you all so much for reading it, I hoped you liked it. I really love to get reviews *wink, wink*


	3. Chapter 2

A/N- Thank you to all of you who read, reviewed, or followed this story.

Disclaimer- I do not own Danny Phantom

I was skeptical at first. My life has been running smoothly and happily, and that never happens. The first three or so days I was in an extreme paranoia, I couldn't even sleep, just waiting for the horrible repercussions of my happiness. As the days passed in a happy bliss I warmed up to the idea of my life settling and becoming happy and normal, or as normal as a half ghosts life could be.

Its now a Friday and I'm on my way home from school with Sam, Jazz, and Tucker. We all decided to walk today due to it being such a nice day and because Jazz is going away for college soon and even if none of us say it we are going to miss her terribly.

When we got home my parents were in the kitchen preparing a home cooked meal, a rarity these days. Jazz went in the kitchen to help them and make sure the food doesn't spring to life or explode.

As per usual, Dani charged down from my room to greet me as fast as she, _humanly_, could.I let out a muffled groan as she barreled to me and tackled me onto the couch. Sam and tucker just laughed in amusement at our display.

After thoroughly greeting Dani and getting her to settle down the four of us decided to play video games. We decided to play one of my Mario Cart games. As I was getting the console, TV, and controllers set up I could hear them joke and laugh behind me and the muted noises of amusement from the kitchen. I couldn't help myself and allowed a huge grin to split my face.

Once everything was set up I handed out the controllers and sat between Sam who is on my left with Tucker next to her and Dani on my right. Dani is winning most of the races, four out of six so far. Sam, Tuck, and I jokingly complained about the unfair advantage Dani has due to being home all day while we are at school.

There was a call of "Play nice." from mom and Jazz simultaneously. We all burst out in laughter and gave affirmative responses.

We started our seventh round of Mario Cart and are almost at the half way point int the race. My dad called out to us telling us we have about 10 minutes until dinner is ready. Knowing we could finish in that time we kept playing.

Tucker had just run my character off the road and passed me. I was about to let out a witty remark about him watching his back. What I had not expected was the agonized scream that tore its way up my throat and past my lips to be released into the air.

There were worried questions and exclamations as well as things crashing but I could hardly register any of that. I feel as though a hole had been torn in my chest. I subconsciously curled up trying to protect my middle and was switching between clawing at my chest to find the hole and clutching at my chest to try and force it to be whole.

I wasn't in physical pain however. The pain i felt was not the physical pain of a hole being torn in my chest is mental, emotional. The greatest pain is the utter emptiness, the feeling of not being hole, of being ripped away from myself. Eventually it all got to be too much and I completely blacked out, unaware of the desperate screams and tears of my friends and family.

As I was blacked out they discussed what they should do. It was decided that until I was awake to tell them what was going on they wouldn't seek professional help. My father lifted my limp body and brought me upstairs, placing me in my bed. The video game still on and food in the kitchen were completely forgotten as they squeezed into my room and huddled around my bed.

I currently was surrounded by the blackest black I have ever seen. It was thick and menacing. I spent what felt like forever suffering the emptiness I felt with the utter black and nothingness further amplified my agony.

After an indeterminable amount of time the pain seemed to gradually fade as well as the black. As the area became lighter a figure started to come into clarity. The more the figure appeared and the closer they got the more the pain left.

The figure finally got to a point where I could recognize it. It was Phantom. The realization slammed into me like a truck. There was Phantom and here was I, meeting in a void after i felt as though a part of me was ripped away, the pain only being remedied by Phantoms presence. It couldn't be a coincidence no matter how much I wanted it to be.

Phantom and I were no longer one, we were split. Forever.

I went to talk but Phantom just held up his hand. When he looked up I could clearly see the tears welling up in his eyes threatening to spill over. He took a deep breath, then sighed as if he said something that would forever haunt me.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. Please don't forget me because I can never forget you. Goodbye." Then the dam broke and he was crying.

I woke in my bed with a startled gasp. I noticed that the empty feeling was still there, seemingly amplified now that it had been full moments before. I reached my hand up to my face to feel tears. Desperate for that all to be a dream I tried to ignore it but I couldn't it was too prominent. I decided that parents here or not, I needed to check, needed to see if my worst fears became a reality.

I tried to change into my Phantom form only to have nothing happen. **Nothing. **Not even a fizzle from the rings. I let out a distressed sob, closed my eyes, and curled into my self. Oblivious to the prodding of my friends and family, I just lie there curled up on my side under my blanket sobbing.

And things were going so well.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N- thank you all so much for your continued support and kind words, the're what keeps me writing. Just a warning, this story is going to talk about severe depression so if that's in any way triggering or upsetting for you please don't read this. I don't want anyone to be negatively affected.

Disclaimer- I do not own Danny Phantom.

Its been nearly two weeks since Phantom and I have been separated. I don't know what to do with myself anymore. I just lie in bed all day. I have to practically be forced to eat and drink. My parents excused me from school even though they didn't know why. Jazz was finally able to coax me into telling her my reason for being depressed. She, of course, relayed the information to Sam, Tuck, and Dani. It only took her three days to start trying to explain my ghost powers and the loss of them to my parents. I refused and Jazz has been laying off on it due to the drop in my mood every time I'm reminded of my loss.

No matter who it was or what they said I could not be cheered up. Ghosts, both friends and foes, had shown up. They would all inevitably seek me out but once they saw my distressed state they would go back to the ghost zone.

Yesterday, Jazz told me she would go ahead and tell our parents what is happening. Apparently they are very worried, more so than Jazz, Dani, Sam, and Tuck because they don't know the reason for my collapse and depression. So here I am dressed in a HAZMAT on my way into the portal armed to the teeth with ecto weapons. It was difficult for me to bring myself to wear a HAZMAT and enter the portal due to the reminder of my first trip in the portal resulting in the reminder of the powers that I so desperately miss.

I'm going to the ghost zone to seek out Clockwork, if that doesn't work then Ghost Writer, and if that fails as well I'm going to Desiree as my last resort. If none of them work then Im out of options and must resign my life to a life without Phantom. I would also finally admit, too late, the existence and now lack of my ghost powers to my parents.

After finding Clockwork he told me that there is nothing that could be done my life with ghost powers is over, that time stream doesn't continue. He told me all other efforts would be futile. I went to Ghost Writer and Desiree anyway only for them to confirm that nothing could be done.

I would never admit it out loud, but knowing that reality changing ghosts couldn't help me, that my days with Phantom are forever over kills me inside. I wanted to die then and there. But I remembered my friend and family and how upset they would be if I died.

When I got home I was more distraught than I've ever been. Jazz noticed immediately and made it her personal mission to nag me until I broke down completely and had to face the reality of not having a chance of ever being Phantom again. Saying it, truly admitting it to myself, made it all the more real.

I gave Jazz my acceptance of her telling my parents of the portal accident and the loss of my powers. My one restriction was that she do it without me there or having to hear the conversation. She waited a few days almost as if a grace period before calling my parents, Dani, Sam, and Tuck to reveal the truth of the last year and a half and the cause of my current condition.

As promised I didn't have to hear any of the conversation. I was not even aware that the conversation had happened until my parents came rushing into my room hugging me tight and apologizing for a bounty of reasons. I hugged them back and reassured them that its alright.

Inevitably, my parents also learned of Dani's half ghost status and her being my clone not a random homeless child. They have been more than accepting of her and have don't the extra mile to make sure she is happy and comfortable in the house hold. They treat her as a daughter. Knowing that there was no paper work to find on her they are currently making some so she can have a normal life. while this all made me appreciative and happy, it could not remedy my unhappiness.

~Two Week Time Skip~

I'm going back to school today. My parents told the school that a family member I was extremely close with had passed away and I slipped into a depression. My awkwardly long absence was excused and all the teachers and some students gave me their condolences and well wishes. Tucker and Sam watched over me like guard dogs.

Dash as well as the rest of the A-List sent out a strict no-bothering-Danny policy. They have all been amazing to me. They even managed to get the teachers to lay off of me. If they gave me homework it was very little and I was given a time extension to pass it in.

There is a little less than a month left of school and I cant wait for summer. While school helps get my mind off dwelling on my loss, it is very hard to try to focus on school and act as if everything is normal with the gaping hole in my chest.

I try to ignore the pain and emptiness, I really do. I try to put my depression aside and be genuinely happy, at least for the sake of my family and friends. No matter how hard I try it always ends up as an act, and a poor one at that.

All that can bring me to be some amount of happy or normal is Phantom. I don't even need to be one with him any more I, at the very least, just need him to be near me. I'm desperate and slowly getting further and further from myself. Phantom promised not to forget me and it is my hope that if I don't forget him as well we will be reunited. Its my last scrap of hope and I'm holding onto it with all I've got.

A/N- Sorry for the awkward chapters, they are basically filler and background information to move the story into the plot. Constructive criticism, reviews, follows, and favorites are all greatly appreciated.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N- thank you all so much for your continued support and kind words, the're what keeps me writing. Going to try a point of view change please tell me how you like it as well as an opinion on the update gap, better, worse? Just a warning, this story is going to talk about severe depression so if that's in any way triggering or upsetting for you please don't read this. I don't want anyone to be negatively affected.

Disclaimer- I do not own Danny Phantom.

The days were dragging on. There were only three days of school left. Danny couldn't take it anymore, he snapped. Trying to life a normal life, putting up a happy facade for the people around him, just made him more depressed. He didn't want his family or friends to witness the state of absolute destruction he was in so he decided to leave. Not forever, he just needed some time away from it all. He left a note to let his family know he is OK hes just leaving for a little bit to calm down and to please not look for him.

His friends and family talked and decided Danny knows how to take care of himself and maybe the temporary leave of absence is just what he needs. They honored his decision and allowed him to have his time away. even though they were worried they didn't look for him. They managed to get the school to excuse his absence and waited eagerly for his return.

Danny returned home four days later. he seemed slightly more relaxed, but he wouldn't talk about what happened, what he did, when he was away. They were worried, they decided to clean his room while he was away to see he took nothing with him. They checked all around the house but nothing was missing.

Danny didn't take anything with him, not even an ecto weapon. Ghosts only visit now they don't destroy anything, they only did that to get Danny's attention and a good fight. Danny walked for two days straight looking every where for any trace of Phantom. The last two days he used to trek back home and look for Phantom at the same time. He camped in alleys and abandoned buildings and went dumpster diving or stole food.

The time away was nice but the gaping hole was still there. Phantom was still gone. Now that they know, his parents have been trying to create a way to find Phantom or get him back with Danny. So far all attempts were unsuccessful.

In the passing weeks Danny became more and more unstable and depressed. Admittedly the process was slower now that he was out of school for the summer and didn't have the stress of that to manage as well, but he was still losing himself.

The time between when he would runaway was decreasing and the time he spent away was increasing. Junior year started but Danny wasn't there for it. Jazz decided to stay and go to a community college in Amity rather than move away to attend an Ivy league school. She thought it would be best for Danny, loosing her too would probably devastate him. And, if shes entirely honest, she couldn't bear leaving him, especially not in this state.

There was a time where about two weeks until Junior year Danny ran away again. Once Junior year started his parents got nervous and sent out a search party. Three weeks later the search party reported back, they had found Danny several states over unresponsive in an alley. He had to spend a few days in a hospital before he could be sent home, he had a concussion, dehydration, and was malnutrition ed. They also found large traces of alcohol in his system.

Danny got all fixed up and sent home on a Wednesday. His family decided to give him a couple days rest so he wasn't going to school until Monday. Nearly a month late. They celebrated a late 16th birthday for him that weekend. Saturday night he went missing again and Sunday morning the Fenton's had the police at the door who were escorting a drunk Danny home.

Danny went to school on Monday to find everyone looking at him. News of him being the next train wreck had spread. It didn't matter if the people were pitying or disgusted, he was the center of attention. The end of freshman year he gained a reputation for running away. Word of the incident Sunday morning had spread and now he also had a record as a drunk.

Dani was also getting a fair amount of attention from the students. The long lost cousin of disgraced Danny Fenton was the second most talked about person. Danny and Dani defended each other as well as having Sam and Tucker, the A-List, and r. Lancer defending them.

The third most talked about person was the missing Danny Phantom. It killed Danny to hear them mention Phantom and hearing it only made the pain increase. He wanted Phantom back so bad. He was desperate at this point he just needed to know if Phantom still existed.

Danny managed to stay in school every day for two and a half weeks before he ran away again. His parents kept trying to prevent his leaving, but it didn't matter what they did, Danny always got out. They tried to at least get him to bring _something _with him. It didn't work Danny always left with nothing but the clothes on his back.

Danny managed to walk and hitch-hike his way to Wisconsin, he had a fruit-loop billionaire to visit.

Thanks for reading! Please review, and let me know how you felt about the POV change and the update gap.


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